Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has prepared and submitted to the Russian government “a business concept” for a new Sino-Russian widebody aircraft known under its Russian acronym “ShFS.” UAC expects to submit a preliminary design in July 2015. The announcement came from UAC president Yuri Slyusar at his first press conference in Moscow on January 29, 10 days after he unexpectedly replaced former UAC boss Mikhail Pogosyan. ShFS involves a 50-50 joint venture between Russia and China, forged at a top political level during Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to China last year.

Estimates in September 2014 placed the needed investment in the project at $13 billion, although the UAC president noted that the recent plunge in value of the Russian ruble could render the project less expensive.

In preparation for a full industrial launch, Russian and Chinese specialists have established a joint working group. “Our colleagues from [Chinese aerospace conglomerate] Comac show a big enthusiasm towards this project and take every effort to develop it,” said Slyusar. According to early estimates, the ShFS would transport 300 passengers 2,700 nautical miles, making it suitable for relatively short domestic routes within China, notably in the so-called Eastern Delta of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The partners envision a plan to roll out the first flying prototype in 2021, gain certification in either 2022 or 2023 and start series production in 2025. The Russian side sees the ShFS as an advance in the evolution of the Ilyushin Il-86 and Il-96, while the Chinese use the Boeing 787 for reference. Russia’s Aviadvigatel has offered an engine that would resemble a 1:2 “scaled up” version of the 14-metric-ton-thrust PD-14 turbofan now undergoing bench trials. Aviadvigatel designed the PD-14 for the Irkut MC-21 narrowbody airliner, scheduled for rollout late this year and first flight sometime between April and June 2016.